Ara Damansara shopowners want river bank strengthened

Industrial business owners from Jalan PJU 1A/18, Ara Damansara, said the river bank erosion has worsened since early this year. They are also irked by those who dump waste at the affected site.

BUSINESS owners operating along Jalan PJU1A/18 in Ara Damansara, Petaling Jaya are worried about the erosion of the river bank near their premises.

They claim that nothing has been done despite numerous reports to the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ), causing the situation to worsen, with trees being uprooted. Their shops are just 4m away from the river bank.

A check by StarMetro showed that the erosion along Sungai Kayu Ara river bank was bad.

A business owner of a chemical processing company, who wished to be known as C.S Lye, said the erosion began a year ago.

“MBPJ did send their officers and some remedial work was done. However, that did not solve the problem,

“The erosion continued and it has worsened. Our shops are facing this river. We are worried our shops will collapse into the river too,” she said.

The collapsed river bank has also turned into a waste dumping site.

“Some people throw their bulk waste at the eroded area,” she said.

Lye claim the waste dumping was not done by the business owners, and happened after office hours.

She added the road facing the river had alsocaved in slightly. A tree at the river bank had recently fallen due to strong winds, an indication that the erosion had worsened.

She said a formal report was lodged with MBPJ last year.

She claimed the authorities had visited the site and were aware of the situation but had failed to act.

“Early this year another part of the river bank collapsed at Jalan PJU 1A/ 20,’’ she said referring to the incident at the Da Feng Sho restaurant at Dataran Ara Damansara. Repair work by the council is ongoing.

Lye, who spoke on behalf of the other business owners, said the council should not take the matter lightly as public safety was involved.

“Please understand our fear. We do not want a repeat of the Jalan PJU 1A/20 incident. Please repair this river bank,” she urged.

When contacted MBPJ’s engineering director Ismail Shafie said the complaint would be checked on soon.